Slow Dancing in a Burning Room
by Michaelover101
Summary: High school is a thing of the past for Blair Waldorf. She is now one of the most respected interior designers in New York, but when her past comes calling, will she be able to ignore it or will feelings she thought she’d pushed down resurface? C/B AU
1. He Wasn't You

_**Title: **_Slow Dancing in a Burning Room

_**Author: **_Michaelover101

_**Summary: **_High school is a thing of the past for Blair Waldorf. She is now one of the most respected and well known interior designers in New York, but when her past comes calling, will she be able to ignore the call or will feelings she thought she'd pushed down resurface? C/B. AU Future fic

_**Rating: **_M

_**Disclaimer: **_Not mine… unfortunately.

_**Beta: **_Flynn

_**Chapter One: He Wasn't You**_

She stared at the newly finished home with a satisfied smile. She's spent the better part of her year in London repainting, rebuffing and refurnishing the mansion of one Lord Marcus Beaton.

She eyed the dark red walls that gave the sitting room a more regal appearance, and eyed each piece, huffing in annoyance when one of the frames on the wall was tilted. Walking over she straightened the frame and eyed it critically before stepping back and looking at the rest of the room.

"It looks marvelous, Blair!"

She turned and saw the tall blonde figure walking towards her. She resisted the urge to beam with pride; she had always loved it when people praised her work. Instead of the giant smile she wanted to plaster onto her face, a slow smirk made its way to her lips.

"I know."

The lord smiled as he hugged her. "When you told me you wanted to paint the walls red, I thought you'd gone mad. I see now what you mean by regal."

"I went with the chaise off to the side, gives the room a more relaxing feel without losing the power. I'd love to give you a tour of your new home, my lord."

"Please, Blair, enough with the formalities, call me Marcus."

"Marcus," she nodded, still looking at the room.

"So why don't you give me that tour, show me everything that was wrong with this place and what you've changed."

Blair laughed. "I would love to, but I have a flight to catch."

"In the morning," Marcus nodded.

For the first time since he'd walked in, Blair turned and looked at him. "I-"

"Yes?"

"Yes, my flight is in the morning, how did you know?"

"I asked your assistant, she's a squirrelly one," he laughed.

"You asked my assistant when I was leaving?" She asked her tone iced over. She didn't give out private information for many reasons, namely one.

"Oh, don't be angry, Blair, you've been remodeling my house for almost a year now, we've gotten to know each other pretty well."

"We slept together once, Marcus." And she still regretted it.

"And you've been distant ever since. What secrets do you hold, Blair?"

His blues eyes stared at the side of her face and her eyes made sure the sitting room was perfect. She refused to leave her projects until it was deemed perfect in her eyes.

"Have dinner with me."

"I don't have dinner with clients," she said moving the tapered candles to the center of the table.

"Yet you sleep with them."

She straightened and stared at him, her eyes cool and calculating. "My work here is done, Lord Beaton. My assistant will bill you later this week. Any other communication about the remodeling will be done by her. Have a nice life, lord."

"Blair," Marcus sighed. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

"And you didn't," she patted his shoulder. "I have an early flight. It's been a pleasure." She grabbed her black Fendi messenger bag and shouldered it. She left out the front door, messaging her assistant to come to the Beaton manor and show the lord around.

Sliding into the town car, she slid on her Dior sunglasses and leaned her head against the headrest as the driver drove her off the property and into town to her hotel.

She'd been staying in a flat in London for the year she'd been working on the project. But the week she'd found out all she had left to do were touch-ups, she moved into the hotel and booked a flight home. She was ready to see New York again. And as much as she found the idea hilarious, she actually missed her mother.

Twenty minutes later she found herself in front of The Connaught and stepped out once the driver opened the door.

"I'll be here at five am to pick you up, Miss Waldorf, unless you need me later tonight?"

"No, Billings, it's fine. I'll see you in the morning," Blair said grabbing her bag and smiling lightly at the driver before walking into hotel, being greeted by name by the doorman and the concierge.

"Any messages for me?" She asked the receptionist.

"Only two," the young girl said, handing over the paper messages as Blair started for the elevators. One was from Serena, telling her to call her the minute she got back into town, and the other was from Genesis, her assistant in New York, telling her about a new client interested in her work.

She'd call Serena once she got back from London, hoping that her best friend hadn't relapsed again, and Genesis in the morning before she boarded the plane. She stepped off the elevator and pulled the key from the top pocket of her bag and slid it in, opening her door and immediately kicking of her heels and dropping the bag.

She dumped the messages in the trash and went straight to the bathroom, stripping off her black pencil skirt and white blouse. She started running the water for a bath as she pulled the pins out of her hair and let her chestnut hair fall down her back in curls.

"_I always preferred your hair down."_

She turned her head at the sound of the voice and sighed in relief when she found her room and bathroom empty. Taking off her undergarments, she lowered herself into the warm water, shutting the taps off.

She'd been hearing his voice everywhere, little clips and pieces from their high school days when they'd been together. Ever since the group had separated she'd heard his voice.

Then there were the times when he'd call and she'd actually hear his voice and for some reason hearing his actual voice always hurt less than hearing it in her dreams. And that was the reason she always answered her phone or always opened her door, because for that moment, when even though they'd be talking in circles for hours on end, the vice grip that squeezed her heart when she didn't hear from him, loosened as she screamed at him to leave her alone.

She was a masochist that was for sure. She always looked forward to the moment when he'd call and yell at her for changing her number and not giving him a courtesy call or text.

He got the best of her and he'd been the only one that she ever allowed, willingly or unwillingly, to mess with her mind. She remembered it was just that, which had caused her to walk straight into Lord Beaton's arms and into his bed. But as he always pointed out, he hadn't made her do anything.

_She stood in the middle of her room, towel-drying her hair, in her silk robe her father's boyfriend had given her for Christmas that fitted her body like a glove. She smiled wistfully as she watched Aubrey Hepburn on the TV yell "Timber!"_

_She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips as she watched. Smiling she left the room at the commercial break and padded her way to the kitchen to pour herself a cup of tea. _

_The knock on the door had her pausing for a split second before detouring, passing the kitchen and towards the front door. Only her closest friends knew she was in London and she hadn't been in town long enough to get to know anyone but her client, who'd been quite persistent in taking her to dinner._

_She peeked through the peephole and couldn't help the gasp of surprise when she saw who was on the other side. He definitely wasn't supposed to know where she was._

_The knock came again, along with a husky laugh that always caused shivers to run up and down her spine._

"_Too late to pretend you're not home, Waldorf. I heard you gasp."_

"_Go away, Bass," she said looking through the peephole again, only to see him looking straight at her with a smirk._

"_Open the door and I might just do that." She stayed staring at him, causing his smirk to grow. "Waldorf, if you don't open the door, I'll open it myself."_

"_You don't know how!" She said her voice full of indignation._

_He laughed and leaned into the door, his voice quieter. "How do you think I would get into your room after we fought, even after you locked your bedroom door? Basses don't do windows."_

_Groaning and knowing she really didn't have any other choice, she opened the door. He pushed it open wider and walked in._

"_Very gracious of you," he said as he walked past her and looked around._

"_What are you doing here, Bass?" _

"_I was in the neighborhood, thought I'd pay my dear friend a visit."_

"_Shanghai is nowhere near the neighborhood."_

_He grinned looking at her. "Asked about me, did you?" _

"_Hardly," she said with a scoff as she walked further into the apartment. "Serena mentioned it when I talked to her last. I didn't bring up the subject." She followed him as he reached the bedroom. "Again, I ask, what are you doing here?" _

_He looked over at her, then at his watch, then back at her with a frown. "Did I get my dates wrong?"_

"_What?" She asked confused._

_He looked back at his watch and sighed. "God, I'm sorry, Blair, I'm a month off. Oh well," he shrugged, a smirk making its way across his face "might as well get it over with, what's a month anyway." He fell back on the bed. "Let's skip the argument and get straight to the sex. Or better yet, let's argue while we fuck, that always did get us turned on, didn't it?" He smirked at her. "You are so hot when you're pissed."_

_She glared at him. "I think you've got me confused with one of your whores."_

_He leaned up on the bed, resting on his elbows. "Don't play dumb, Blair, it's not flattering."_

"_I have no idea what you're talking about," she said crossing her arms over her chest. "Now leave, I was watching Tiffany before you so rudely interrupted._

"_Great, we'll watch it together. You can call me an arrogant jackass, we can have sex, and then I'll leave, and we'll repeat the cycle in six months."_

"_Leave, Chuck!"_

"_Every six months we find ourselves in the same room, talking. Then we argue over why we broke up."_

"_You cheated on me," she said, her jaw ticking._

"_Every six months," he continued, "We sleep together. It's like clockwork, ever since graduation. It's like a tradition."_

"_Yeah, well, I happen to not like this tradition."_

"_So you ran away?" He asked standing. "Instead of telling me that you couldn't do this anymore, you ran all the way to London?"_

_She glared at him. "I tell you every time we're together, I can't do this anymore. You don't listen."_

"_Ah, I don't choose to listen. I happen to like the chase. You know that, Blair. I don't make you do anything and I most certainly don't make you lay on your back."_

"_Bastard," she said going to her bathroom and slamming the door shut._

_The light knock had her glaring as she sat on the toilet seat. "You're predictable, Blair. If I hadn't come tonight, you would have found a reason to visit New York in a month when you found out I was back. Blair, come out, we'll finish the movie and we'll talk." _

"_I'm done talking," she said loud enough for him to hear. "Like you said, Chuck, we talk each other in circles and we get no closer of coming to an agreement. I don't want to be with you anymore."_

"_We're not in high school anymore, Blair. I'm ready for this."_

"_No, you're not." _

"_Blair, give me a chance."_

"_I gave you a second chance, Chuck, and a third and a fourth and, I believe, even a fifth one. That's more chances than I gave anyone else. God, just leave."_

"_Why, why should I leave?"_

_She opened the door and knew the minute she said the words she'd regret them. "Because I have a date." _

_He stared at her with incredulous eyes before he replaced it with a glare. "A date? You haven't been in London a week. I know you, Blair, the only people you've gotten to talk to here are your assistant and your client."_

_She raised an eyebrow._

_He scowled. "You don't date clients."_

"_He's very charming," she said pushing past him, hoping she could get a minute alone to call Marcus and hope to god he didn't have plans already. "A real gentleman and a lord to boot."_

"_A lord?!" Chuck laughed as he watched her flip through her clothes. "There are still lords in this world?"_

"_Of course. He's well read too. He's read Ulysses like ten times." _

"_He must be a bore then."_

"_You don't even know who wrote the book." She pulled out a red dress from her closet. _

"_You're lying" he said narrowing his eyes._

"_I am not!"_

"_Your eyes are doing that thing where they don't match your mouth."_

"_That doesn't mean I'm lying!"_

"_That and you just put on Breakfast at Tiffany's, and…" he took a whiff of the apartment, "And you're making popcorn, you had no intention of going out."_

"_Leave!" She told him as she passed and closed the bathroom door. She pressed her ear to the bathroom door, hugging the dress and her cell phone close. She could hear him breathing on the other side, then heard a crash and winced, knowing he'd punched something before the front door slammed. _

_She pulled her phone to her ear dialing quickly and sighing in relief or annoyance, she wasn't quite sure which, as he answered the phone._

"_Hello, Lord Beaton, it's Blair Waldorf. I was wondering if that invitation for dinner was still open?"_

_An hour later she found herself sitting across from Lord Beaton, a tight smile on her face. _

"_Have I told you look quite ravishing tonight?" He asked._

_She looked down and nodded. She was wearing her Carmen Marc Valvo black ruched off the shoulder silk dress that she'd seen in the window and loved. She hadn't planned on debuting the dress on a lame date. _

"_Lord Beaton, is it?"_

_She straightened, her eyes widening when she saw Chuck standing at their table, staring at her date._

"_Yes, and you are?"_

"_Charles Bass, I'm good friends with Blair." He smiled at her "You didn't tell me you were in London, Blair!" he said in mock surprise._

"_I-"_

_He turned away and looked at Marcus. "Do you think I can steal her away? She tends to turn off her cell phone during dates and our good friend Nate has been trying to get a hold of her. His fiancée has a drug problem, you understand." He pulled Blair's arm as she stood up, her worry for Serena winning over her logical thought._

"_I'm sorry, Marcus, I'll be back once I get this straightened out," she said putting her napkin on her plate and following Chuck out._

_Before she knew what was happening, Chuck had her pushed against an alley wall and his lips were on hers. She responded gripping his shirt in her fist and pushing herself forward. It was only a natural response when he kissed her, but once his hands pushed the hem of her dress up, she pushed him away, gasping for air._

"_What are you doing!?" She asked pushing her dress down and fixing the strap._

"_What are you doing?" He asked pointing to the restaurant. "You're with him to prove something and I have no idea what."_

"_You used your sister's drug problem to… to what? Lure me out? That's low, Chuck!"_

"_Oh please, as if you haven't used Serena before."_

"_I'm on a date, just like you… well, sleep with people. I like to get to know the people I'm going to sleep with."_

"_You're going to sleep with him?" Chuck asked._

"_What?"_

"_You just said-"_

"_I said…" she looked at Chuck and reran her words. "Yes, yes, I'm going to sleep with him."_

"_You're going to sleep with your client?"_

"_Yes."_

_He walked over to her slowly, his hand finding hers and leaning her back against the wall. He leaned in, his lips near her ear as he whispered, "What incensed him more inwardly was the blatant jokes of the cabman and so on who all passed as a jest, laughing 1530 immoderately, pretending to understand everything, the why and the wherefore..." He trailed his lips down nipping her chin as he reached the other ear, "And in reality not knowing their own minds." He sucked the lobe lightly, his teeth biting down, causing a moan to rip through her throat. "Page 1072 of Ulysses."_

_He pulled away and stared at her. "Leave."_

_She shook her head. "I can't. I have to get back." She pushed away and walked back to the restaurant._

Blair groaned as she dunked her head in the water. Stupid mother chucker, she thought sitting back up and pushing her hair back. She pulled the plug with her toe and stood up grabbing the towel to wrap her body.

She'd only slept with two guys to spite Chuck and both times she had been on the losing side of things. She'd slept with Nate, Chuck's best friend and her ex at the time for so many different reasons, but the underlying and main reason was to prove Chuck wrong, that she didn't need him. Same with Marcus.

With a groan, she walked out of her bedroom and changed into her nightgown, crawling into bed, not bothering to dry her hair or even untangle it. She lay on her back in the dark, the only light was the moon shining in from her windows, too exhausted to bother shutting them, and the only sounds was the London traffic outside.

Marcus had been… disappointing and lacking. She'd left before he'd woken and went back to her flat, got into the shower and cried (embarrassingly enough) as she scrubbed her body vigorously for an hour.

The next day involved an awkward meeting with Marcus, where she had put an end to any and all feelings he had for her, before she had tracked down Chuck.

She had the speech prepared, the yelling, the slapping, the accusing. But when he'd opened the doors and stared at her with his caramel-colored, un-accusing eyes, he'd only asked two questions before she's fallen into their usual cycle.

"_Why did you sleep with him?" He asked quietly staring at her. He didn't need to ask whether she had slept with him, that he already knew._

"_He wasn't you," she said quietly, tears running down her cheeks. She rubbed her palms over her cheeks pushing them away._

"_Then why are you here?"_

"_Because he wasn't you," she said before launching herself into his arms and kissing him with all that she had. She barely registered the door closing or him pushing her against it._

She rubbed her legs together in frustration, groaning and grabbing her sleep mask from the nightstand and pulled it on, covering her head with the comforter. Unfortunately that couldn't stop her from remembering the way his fingers felt on her or how the weight of his body on hers when he'd laid her on the bed had felt right and welcome. Or the fact that unlike the other times, it hadn't been gentle, but rough and fast, something that they had always loved, seeing as their personalities always made it out to be a contest of dominance.

She rubbed her face in agitation. She also couldn't help but remember his face of hurt and disbelief when she left in the morning, telling him she was done. And that she meant it that time. She wouldn't answer his calls, she wouldn't answer the door, and she wouldn't ask for him anymore. She was done.

And surprisingly to both of them, she'd kept to her word. She'd changed her number, not giving it out to anyone but her office aides who had strict instructions not to give it out to anyone. She'd moved flats as desperate as it made her seem. She'd done everything possible to cut one Chuck Bass out of her life, and she had succeeded. There was no six month romp in the bed after the last incident, but now that she was on her way back to New York, she wondered if she'd be able to avoid him just as successfully.

"Looks like I'm throwing myself at work once again," she muttered, before forcing herself to sleep.

XxxxX

_**A.N:**_

_**I've always loved doing AU's, so I thought I'd try my hand at a Gossip Girl one, that and the idea wouldn't leave me alone.**_

_**The title was taken from John Mayer's song "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" and when I heard it I instantly though of Blair and Chuck.**_

_**Also, the quote that Chuck says is from Ulysses, my beta made sure I had it correct.**_

_**One more thing, it is AU, so personalities might be a bit skewed, but I'm keeping them as close as possible, if Chuck or Blair do something that you know they would never do, remember it's AU, and I do everything for a reason lol.**_

_**I hope you all enjoy it, I'm hoping the next chapter will be up soon! **_

_**Please review, I'd love to know what you all think!**_

_**Kassandra**_


	2. In The Picture

_**Special thanks to both Flynn and Emily for editing this chapter!!**_

_**Chapter 2: In the Picture**_

Chuck smirked up at the building in front of him, while the two men beside him leaned against the limo holding in their scoffs of disbelief or curses of frustration he didn't know which one it may be. All he knew was that the building in front of him was his new project and he loved it.

"Chuck-"

"Yes, Nathaniel?"

"I-" Nate trailed off, not knowing what he was going to say to his best friend about the dump of a building he was staring at.

"I know, right?" Chuck smiled proudly, his eyes still focused on the building rather than his friend's pained expression. "It leaves you speechless, doesn't it?"

"Mr. Bass-," his assistant Franklin started, "I feel the need to point out that it is not an actual building."

"Half!" Nate cried, his arm gesturing to the building across the street and turning to look at Chuck. "It's _half_ a building!"

Chuck looked at it; sure, the once forty story building was now a ten story building, and it was crumbling as they stood there, and he was pretty sure that if he actually stepped foot in the place it would all come falling on top of him. Yet the minute he'd seen the building in passing, he'd known that he had to have it.

"Technicality," he said waving off Nate's comment. "And my father would have seen the potential in this building."

"Yes, well, your father was just as cracked as you are."

Chuck narrowed his eyes on his best friend. "Watch it, Nathaniel." He looked back at the building, his eyes brightening. "And I have plans."

"Of course, you always have plans," Nate said, throwing his hands up in exasperation.

"Yes, but these plans involve one Miss Waldorf."

Nate laughed. "Blair hasn't talked to you in almost a year. What makes you think she'll be interested in this, let alone listen to you long enough for you to pitch the idea."

"Because I'm not going to pitch it."

"You're not?" Both Franklin and Nate asked in surprise.

"I'm not." Chuck said, turning to his twenty-two-year-old assistant with a smirk. "You are."

"Me?!" Franklin squeaked.

"Yes, you are going to pitch the idea over at BCW Interiors," Chuck said, a satisfied smirk gracing his features.

"But… but I'm only your assistant, I'm a gopher. I get you your morning scotch!" Franklin cried. "I don't know the first thing about pitching ideas!"

"Why don't I just do it?" Nate suggested, feeling for Franklin, who stood next to him, sweating bullets and running a hand through his dirty blonde hair, staring wide eyed at his boss.

"You can't," Chuck said. "Blair knows you'd do it for me and she wouldn't take the job knowing that. She hasn't _met_ Franklin."

"She'd do it for me though."

"Not if I was behind it," Chuck laughed. "Franklin, you have nothing to worry about."

"But-"

"Get in the car and I'll explain."

Franklin shook as he slid into the car, while Nate looked amused. Chuck took one last look at his building with a smile before following suit.

"Pitching to Blair is simple," Chuck assured as the driver pulled away from the curb and back to Chuck's office.

"Really?" Nate asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Sure. I'll give you note cards, word for word what you have to say, with cues as when to pause for question that Blair will ask and when to point to the presentation boards you'll have with you, unless we go towards PowerPoint," Chuck muttered, and then turned to Franklin who was hyperventilating.

Rolling his eyes, Chuck grabbed a paper bag he carried with him when working with the nervous man and handed it to him. "Breathe, Franklin."

"You're going to kill the poor guy before he hits twenty-three," Nate teased.

"I prefer to live, Mr. Bass," Franklin wheezed out.

Chuck pushed the bag back towards Franklin's mouth. "Look, I know Blair like the back of my hand. You'll be ready for the meeting on Friday."

"Friday?! That's in two days!"

"Yes, it is. Look, Frankie-" Chuck started as Franklin groaned.

"There's only one thing to know about Blair Waldorf when meeting with her and that is to never look her in the eye."

"Oh, that's a good one, you better write that in the note cards you're giving him," Nate agreed sarcastically with a roll of his eyes.

"Once you look her in the eye, it's all over. The meeting's done and we've lost." Chuck stated, his eyes focused on Franklin as he spoke.

"Wait, why her eyes?" Franklin asked, lowering the bag slowly.

"Blair has perfected the art of breaking you just by staring at you," Chuck explained. "She has this thing where she just stares at you with this amused smirk and the minute she quirks that eyebrow…."

"You're a goner," Nate agreed. He'd been the object of that stare many times.

Franklin brought the paper bag back up to his mouth and breathed heavily.

"You'll be fine!" Chuck laughed as he opened the door to let his assistant out outside the Bass offices. "Now go do some paper pushing, Nate and I are going to lunch. I'll be back in an hour or two, depends on how much I drink."

"You have a meeting at four!"

"And I'll be there. Quit stressing, Frank."

"It's Franklin, sir!" Franklin said as Chuck closed the door and the driver started again.

"You're lucky Franklin's actually stuck," Nate pointed out.

"Eh, he'll wise up in a few months not to take any of my shit and up the ladder he goes. Just like all the others," Chuck smirked. "Got to say though, he's made one hell of an assistant. It'll be sad to send him off," Chuck laughed.

"Do you think Franklin will be able to convince Blair to sign the contracts and take the job?"

Chuck scoffed. "He'll be reaching for his paper bag the minute he catches sight of Blair. Franklin will pitch the idea because I told him so, Blair will sit through it, because the idea boards and Power Points will be genius, but she'll know it's all me. So she'll say no."

"Then why bother?" Nate asked as the limo stopped in front of the restaurant. They got out of the limo and entered the restaurant, being ushered to their table immediately.

"Because, Nathaniel," Chuck said as he sat at the table, Nate in front of him, "Franklin is a distraction."

"To?"

"To Blair," Chuck said pushing his menu aside, they were regulars and were always brought their dishes without needing to order.

"To- okay, I now want to know about these plans," Nate said, his eyes playing off the curiosity that was growing.

"I'd rather you didn't," Chuck smirked. "It would make you an accessory, and after I'm done, Blair will be out for blood, you want no part in it. So tell me why you called me earlier."

Nate eyed him as the waiter brought out their food and drinks, telling them that if they needed anything to call, and quickly backing away from the table.

"Fine, I'll leave it alone, but if Blair comes to my place yelling, I'm blaming you."

"Rightfully so, now the call."

"Serena and I set the date."

Chuck raised an eyebrow. "Is it set in stone this time?"

Nate sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I hope so. We've always had the date, and the arrangements, and everything paid for, it's just the matter of her staying clean."

"She's been sober a year now," Chuck said watching as Nate pushed his food around.

"Year and a half," Nate nodded. "She had about six months in rehab before Blair left. She stopped hanging out with all those model friends she'd gotten to know over the years and she's staying at home more. She's happier."

Chuck nodded. "And now the date is set and you're not happy."

"I am," Nate laughed. "I'm finally marrying the girl I've loved for as long as I can remember," he said with a shrug. "Just seems a little too good to be true, you know. I've dealt with her ups and downs, whether she's high or sober. Four rehab clinics," he shook his head. "And now I'm getting married next week."

"Next-" Chuck's eyes widened. "You're getting married next week?!"

Nate nodded. "Serena's having dinner with Blair to ask her to be the maid of honor. I called you to ask you to be the best man."

"You want me to plan a bachelor party in a week?" Chuck asked his eyes widening.

Nate shrugged sheepishly. "Some of your best parties in high school were on a whim."

Chuck nodded slowly, not wanting to point out that while he had the idea, Blair was the one that usually pulled it off. "Sure."

"We're not doing a big thing," Nate told him. "It's why we're doing it next week, just her family and my mom, and, of course, our closest friends, a grand total of about twenty."

"Why not just go to Vegas and get it over with?" Chuck asked with a laugh.

"Trust me, I've asked her, but she wants the white dress, family there, an actual chapel and priest. Do you know how much we're donating to the church so that they would fit us in?"

Chuck laughed. "You'd give that girl anything."

"My soul if she asked for it," Nate nodded. "And you know the great thing about you being my best man?"

"What's that?" Chuck asked.

"Best men sleep with the maid of honor, it's like tradition."

Chuck couldn't help but laugh. "Right, tradition. Unfortunately, after what I'll be doing, I'll be lucky if she even looks at me during the ceremony."

Nate eyed him worriedly as they finished eating.

_**XxxxxxxxX**_

"Next week?!" Blair asked her eyes wide, her martini half way to her lips as she stared at her best friend.

"Yeah!" Serena nodded, bouncing in her seat, her blonde hair swaying in excitement. "I know! It's amazing! I hit that year and a half mark and Nate just wanted to get married. He knows I'm done with the drugs. Though alcohol..." Serena laughed as she thanked the bartender.

"Well, who doesn't drink in the Upper East Side?" Blair laughed. "So really next week?"

"It's going to be small, just my family, Nate's family, and some close friends. A total of about thirty or forty, we really haven't put the guest list together."

"Well, after drinks we have to find a dress. For both of us."

"Well, actually…" Serena trailed off, causing the drink to stop mid-way again.

"What? Are you going to tell me it's a nude wedding?"

Serena laughed. "No. I've already got my dress. And yours."

"S., my style isn't exactly your style."

Serena laughed. "I took your style into account when I picked your maid of honor dress."

"My-" Blair finally put her drink down, knowing that the next shocking thing Serena said would probably make her do a spit take and Waldorf's did not do spit takes. "You want me to be your maid of honor?"

"Well, of course, B.! Nate's having his best friend up there, and I want my best friend up there too."

"What about all your model friends?"

Serena shrugged. "Once you get sober, you realize who your real friends are." She looked up at her. "Come on, we've been best friends for… forever! Who else would I want up there? Who else would you allow me to have up there?"

Blair laughed. "True. So who's Nate's best man?"

Serena mumbled into her drink, causing Blair's eyes to narrow.

"I'm sorry; I could have sworn you said Chuck. Can you repeat that?"

"I did, I said Chuck."

"Serena, I can't."

"Okay, that whole maid of honor sleeping with the best man thing, _so_ does not have to happen!"

"S, I really can't."

"Since when has Blair Cornelia Waldorf ever said 'No' to doing something because of a guy?"

"Never, but-"

"Never, that's right! Come on, B., you have to be my maid of honor. No, you know what, I'm not even asking, I'm telling you, you will be standing there at the altar as I marry Nate."

Blair nodded. "Fine, but I am not touching Chuck. And I'm not going to the reception."

"You're going to the reception."

"Fine!" Blair laughed. "But please…"

"As far away from Chuck as possible, I know." Serena laughed as she watched Blair reach for her drink once more. Biting her lip she watched her best friend take a sip and smiled. "I'm pregnant."

The sip of alcohol she'd just put in her mouth, came straight out as she coughed and stared at her best friend. "WHAT?!"

"Oh wow, I didn't think that would work!" Serena laughed. "An authentic Blair Waldorf spit take."

"Tell me you're not procreating!" Blair hissed.

Serena laughed and shook her head. "Not that I know of."

"Ugh." Blair wiped her chin with the napkin and glared at Serena. "That will never happen again. Nor will you ever repeat what just happened to anyone."

"Best friend's honor." Serena giggled as Blair pushed her drink away.

_**XxxxxxxxX**_

She'd waited a week before stepping into the building that held BCW Interiors. A week she usually took off after working on a big project.

BCW Interiors was set up on the top floor of the building and held three floors. The first floor, which she had exited on, was an open space with ten long white tables in the center of it. Each table held a group of five interns, making a grand total of fifty interns she had hand-picked and considered the best to be working with her and the other designers she had on staff.

There were four other designers that worked with BCW Interiors, their offices were on the first floor and on the left hand side and each designer had their own assistant. Generally Blair didn't work with any of the other designers. She worked on estates while the other four worked on their own specialty. She really didn't consider them friends, but employees that happened to be wonderful in their fields.

Every year the designers switched out as well as half of the interns. She and her own assistant were the only constant at BCW.

To the right was a hallway that held the bathrooms and the break room that held everything to make her employees comfortable on their lunches and breaks with a plasma TV that was mounted to the top corner, a large economy fridge and four microwaves. She tried to cut down on arguments. She loved her interns, but told them when they began that she wasn't their mother; she wasn't there to settle disputes between them. She was their employer and expected them to act like adults and not children.

She looked over some of the tables and gave the interns pointers on some of the projects they were working on. As if she had a Blair radar, Genesis was at her side just as Blair reached the steps to the second floor.

"Miss Waldorf."

"Genesis," Blair said with a nod and they started the trek up the steps to the landing that led to the second floor.

The second floor held a large conference room that took up the entire left side of the landing. The entrance to the conference room had glass walls that led into the floor to ceiling windows that made up the entire wall from the conference room to her office up on the third floor. The other two walls held white boards that were well used.

Blair looked over at Genesis who was looking at her planner and smiled at her. They'd done the routine a million times before. Genesis didn't need any more prompting other than her name as she began to rattle off schedules and deadlines.

"You have two new clients interested in your personally. They refuse to work with any other designers. I left the notes on your computer screen for your approval. You have no meetings today, just the rest of the Beaton paperwork to finish. Once that's done, I can fax off the final numbers for payment as well as the Weatherby account which needs to be reviewed. Miss Teak wants your opinion on some of the work she's doing. And you need to do some performance reviews for ten of the interns."

Blair nodded, mentally filing everything as they reached the third floor which was entirely her office slash her home away from home.

Her office had the floor to ceiling windows on the entire left side, but she always had the blinds closed as her black leather couch that was more for comfort than show, as against that window. There was a coffee table where she could tell that in her absence Genesis had been using due to the newspapers and take out cartons littering the table.

Her desk was on the right, her computer already humming and the screen covered in Post-Its, with one word on them, Genesis's way of letting her know that something was going on and to ask about the one word. It was what Genesis called her 'trigger' word.

The far wall held bookcases that she had filled with design books from interior to fashion to gardening books to help her research her any project she was doing while other books included her Jane Austen collection from her childhood room as well as old school books that she'd kept for the hell of it.

She sat in her black leather swivel chair and looked at the photos on her desk, old ones from high school of her, Serena, Chuck and Nate, one of them all at Bart and Lily's wedding, while another was of her mother and father and her in happier times. The large dark wood filing cabinets behind her desk were filled with pictures of the same. Friends and family, pictures she loved looking at and couldn't bear to part with.

"How were things when I was gone?" Blair asked reviewing the notes.

"Everything went smoothly."

Blair smirked as she watched Genesis avoid her eyes. "Which means only three major catastrophes."

Genesis closed the door to avoid prying ears before she turned to Blair with wide eyes. "Everything falls apart when you're not here! Bev and Liz are complete bitches, masters of their art what bullshit!! Can't even have an original idea without stealing someone else's!"

Blair laughed. She could honestly say she'd never felt affection or friendship with anyone like with what she had with Genesis. The girl might act like she feared Blair, to keep up Blair's reputation as a hardass, but the girl didn't fear her. If anything, Genesis semi-admired and respected her. And respect was something Blair had never had felt towards her or felt towards anyone.

She watched as Genesis flopped down on the chair across her desk. "Never leave like that again."

"Promise," Blair laughed. "Now tell me about this…" she looked at the Post-It. "Mr. Jacobs?"

Genesis rolled her green eyes heavenward. "Lord give me patience! That man has called at least twice a week wanting to speak to the pretty young thing that decorates homes. He wants his penthouse redone."

"And your opinion?"

"My opinion is that he's a sixty-year-old widower that thinks he's still able to get into your pants."

Blair laughed. "Who knows, if he's really well off, he just might."

"Eww," Genesis said making a face of disgust.

"And what about…." Blair looked at the other Post-It note. "This Mr. Bennett?"

"Franklin Bennett," Genesis nodded. "He seemed like an odd sort on the phone, sounded cute, too!"

"Odd how?" Blair said. "Like I'm going to have to change my number and address again because he's going to stalk me, which was the case of the Royalton house, or odd like… the minute I step foot in his door, he's going to want nude pictures on every surface of the place, which was the case of the Alabaster house?"

Genesis laughed. "No, odd as in nervous, like he probably shouldn't be calling but he's been made to by someone higher up."

Blair frowned. "Who does he work for?"

"Wouldn't say."

"Number?"

Genesis flipped through her planner as she looked for the information. "Cell phone," she replied once she'd found it.

Blair's eyes narrowed. "What does he want done?"

"That's the kicker! It's a hotel! Apparently it's going to be grand the minute everything is up and running. He was telling me… well, more like reading to me."

"Reading?"

Genesis nodded, sitting up and leaning in at the edge of her chair in excitement and intrigue. Blair found herself leaning in as well. "The way he was explaining the project, it seemed like he was reading off a note card. It was all very dictated."

"How long?"

"It's about a two year process. They're rebuilding, I believe," Genesis said looking at her planner and flipping to the back where she took shorthand notes. "They are. I didn't get an address, but he wants to pitch on Friday."

Blair bit her lip and asked the one question she only allowed herself to ask to Genesis. "There's no connection with Bass Industries or any Bass affiliate?"

"Not one I could find, you're better at spotting it than I am."

Blair sighed. "Schedule him in, make it official. You'll be in the meeting with me."

"What interns do you want as well?"

"No interns, just you and I," Blair said flipping open the file on her desk.

Genesis frowned. "Do you think Bass Industries has something to do with it?"

Blair shrugged. "A hotel is a new project. I haven't done hotels before, always private residences. I don't want to get the interns hopeful for something I might not take on. A hotel is a large project. It'll take time and it might take the entire team. Once I hear this pitch, I'll decide and we'll go over with the team."

Genesis nodded. "All right."

"Now, have you had lunch?"

"No, I've been getting ready for you."

"That's sweet, but I'm not paying you to starve. Take an hour, go see that boyfriend of yours and come back laid and happy." Blair noticed that Genesis hesitated at the door and frowned. "What?"

"Um, Gabriel and I broke up a few months ago."

"Mutual?"

"No," Genesis said slowly.

"Did he break up with you?"

"No," Genesis said again leaning against the wall. "I broke up with him," she sighed leaning her head back. "Found out that while I was working late… Well, so was he."

"And by working late you mean…"

"He's been doing his secretary," Genesis sighed. "I really thought he was 'The One', you know."

Blair rolled her eyes. "I remember being that naïve."

"Oh, come on, Blair," Genesis said sitting back down across from her. "One guy breaks your heart and love is non-existent?"

"I didn't say love was non-existent, I said I was naïve to believe I found 'The One'."

Genesis sighed. "I still think my 'The One' is still out there."

Blair shrugged. "Go get lunch. We'll talk later about scheduling."

Genesis nodded as she got up and left the office, closing the door firmly behind her. Blair had a feeling Genesis hadn't left for lunch like Blair had told her but was sitting at her half-rounded desk outside her office and was playing with the mouse on her computer.

Making sure Genesis wasn't planning on coming back in, she lifted up her desk calendar and removed the guilty pleasure she kept there, the one photo from her teenage days that she allowed herself to look at from time to time.

Biting her lip she looked at the one person she'd ever considered her real 'The One'. Nate had been a schoolgirl relationship, childish and deep down while she wished he'd been the perfect man for her, he wasn't, he was a boy compared to one Chuck Bass.

She set the picture on the desk calendar and sighed. It was a candid picture Serena's then boyfriend Aaron Rose had taken before he'd met up with Serena. They were both in their school uniforms, sitting at the top of the Met steps, his back leaning against the wall while she was settled between his legs. She was tugging on his scarf to get his attention, looking up at him with a laugh while his head was turned away bringing a cigarette to his mouth which held a slight smirk.

She remembered the moment perfectly.

"_What way is the wind blowing?" He asked against her neck as she studied the book on her lap._

"_Is this one of those things you ask me and turn my answer into something dirty to get me into your limo?" She asked looking up at him from her spot between his knees on the Met steps. _

_His chuckle resonated against her neck, causing her to smile. __**"**__No, it's one of those things I ask in order for me to light up without your hair smelling like smoke… unless you want it to be one of those things I ask you to turn your answer into something dirty to get you in the back of the limo."_

"_West, the wind is blowing to the west." she said glaring at him though her eyes were filled with laughter and her lips tried not to smile. He kissed her lightly, knowing she wouldn't let his lips anywhere near hers while his breath smelled like nicotine. He'd kicked the weed habit… sort of, and had gone to nicotine, but he still got the urge for a joint, every once in a while._

_He felt her hands creep up between his coat and St. Jude's blazer to the inside pocket and fish for his pack of cigarettes and lighter and handing them to him before turning back to her book to study last minute for the Latin test she had that morning._

"_You know the material backwards and forwards," he said as she heard the telltales sign of the lighter being flicked on with talented hands and that spark as fire met paper, then the oddly comforting smell of the French smoke. _

"_Yes, but because of you, I wasn't able to study last night like I told you I had to."_

_He smirked as he blew smoke out towards the west with the wind before looking down at her. "I definitely did not hear you complaining last night. In fact, I believe I heard you urging me for more." He smirked, his eyes looking towards the sky, as if replaying the night in his head before nodding and putting the cigarette between his smirking lips and looking at her, eyes full of lust. _

"_Yes, definitely urging." He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Yeah, baby, right there, oh god, more, more, faster, oh fuck!" He sat back up and took a drag of his cigarette, a satisfied smirk on his features._

_She felt her cheeks warm as she replayed the night in her head as well then smirked herself. "I believe there was begging on your part, wasn't there?"_

_He scowled blowing out more smoke and looking down at her. "Chuck Bass does not beg."_

"_Really?" She closed her book and stuffed it in her bag, knowing studying at this point was useless, especially since riling Chuck up was proving much more entertaining. "Because…" She mimicked his movements of looking up at the sky, before meeting his gaze dead on, cigarette between his lips and a challenge in his eyes. "I recall you begging last night." She leaned up as he blew out smoke and moved the cigarette from his lips, her hand laid on his chest as she moved up to whisper in his ear._

"_Oh fuck, baby, please, god, I'm so fucking close, oh god, please, god, just…oh god," she groaned out as he had done the night before as she nipped his ear, and sat back down leaning against his chest, feeling his arousal clearly against her back._

"_Tease," he muttered turning away._

_She turned and tugged on his scarf. "And you loved it last night, didn't you?" She laughed as she saw the light smirk on his face. "You like it when I talk dirty, don't you, Bass?" She said tugging on his scarf. _

_They both turned as the flash of light caught their attention and saw Aaron Rose fiddling with his camera before walking up to them. "Wanna see?"_

_Blair nodded. She wasn't fond of the so called artist, but he had captured the attention of her best friend for the moment, so as best friends did, they accepted their boyfriends...of course Blair accepted him in her own way, making comments about his scruffy and odd manner behind his back to make her best friend laugh and hopefully see the light. _

_She looked on the screen of his camera and smiled at the picture of her and Chuck. They weren't the picture taking couple that was for sure. There were no pictures of her scattered in his room or suite, just one candid one of them together at one of her mother's galas, next to his mother's picture on his nightstand. _

_She had one on her own nightstand of them when they were about six, swinging on a swing set, but she had always had that one on her nightstand, always claiming that it was because it was Nate who had been pushing her before taking the picture._

"_It's okay, you know… for an amateur," she said before leaning against Chuck once more._

_Aaron nodded slightly as Chuck looked away. "Have you guys seen Serena?"_

"_Do we look like her keepers?" Chuck asked as he put out the cigarette and stood up slowly, allowing Blair to sit on her own. He gathered his book bag and held out his hand. "Come on." She took his hand and allowed him to lead her down the steps and walk her hand in hand towards school grounds._

A week later, for Christmas she'd found out he'd tracked down Aaron and demanded two copies of that photo. One he had framed and given to her as a gift and the other sat unframed against his lamp in his suite.

She blinked when she saw a drop of water drop onto the picture. Frowning she reached up and was startled to find her cheeks wet.

"Oh god."

"Blair…" Genesis eyes widened and quickly closed the door. "Oh god, who died?"

Blair laughed shakily, placing the picture back under her calendar. "I think all this talking about 'The One' has got me sentimental." She wiped her eyes hastily and looked up at Genesis as she stopped the tears. "I know I wasn't reminiscing for very long… Did you get lunch?"

"I was finalizing the plans for the Bennett meeting on Friday. I was coming to let you know I was going to go get sushi and if you wanted something."

Blair stood from behind her desk and gathered her purse. "I need to get out of here, so I will be going with you. We'll bitch about what bastards guys are, okay?"

"Okay," Genesis laughed as she opened the door and followed her boss out.

"Genesis?"

"Yeah, boss?"

Blair bit her lip. "I want you to clear out my schedule after the Bennett meeting."

Genesis nodded and started for her planner as they walked down the two flights and towards the elevators, but Blair stopped her before she was able to open up her messenger bag to retrieve it.

"Serena is getting married this weekend," Blair told her. "And after that I'll be in the Hamptons house."

"It's not summer," Genesis pointed on as they stepped into the elevator.

"I know that," Blair snapped, then sighed. "Sorry, I just need to get out of the city for a while, and I think some time in the Hamptons house will be what I need."

"You just got back from London," Genesis pointed out as they took the trip down to the lobby.

"I wasn't there vacationing though. I was working."

"And you took this last week off…"

"Which, I usually take after a big project."

Genesis sighed as they walked out of the elevator and across the lobby and out into the busy street towards the sushi place near the office. "I don't like it, but as your employee I guess I really don't have a choice, do I?"

"Of course you do," Blair said as they walked into the restaurant and sat at their usual booth. "Clear my schedule…. or be unemployed," she shrugged.

Genesis laughed and grabbed the planner from her messenger bag. "Okay… let's see what I can do."

"Work your magic, Genesis," Blair said with a teasing smile and thought of the large Hamptons house on the beach that she was planning on going to. It was filled of memories of her and Chuck when times were better… and even when they weren't.

Biting her lip she looked at her assistant and friend. "Make it two weeks."

Genesis nodded. "You're the boss, my crazy and irrational boss," she muttered.

Blair smiled at her assistant just as the waitress came up to take their orders.

_**XxxxxxxxxxxxX**_

_**AN:**_

Long overdue I know. The flashback took longer than expected. Next is an actually Blair and Chuck interaction as well as Franklin's attempt to pitch an idea, lol. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter.

I'm going to be putting up pictures of what I imagine Genesis and Franklin to look like as well as what Blair's office looks like on my LJ.

Next chapter I hope to write and get out soon. Once again, hope you all enjoyed and I'd love your feedback!

Kassandra


	3. Diversion

Chapter 3: Diversion

"So…" Serena said as she sat in Blair's desk chair, her bare feet propped up on the chair and looking at Blair with excited eyes. "What do you think?"

Blair looked over at Genesis who shrugged, Blair sighed, looking at herself in the full length mirror Serena had made Genesis go out and get. She had to admit, even though their styles were totally different, Serena had taken her style into account when picking the maid of honor dress.

"I… like it," Blair said running her hands down the floor length dress.

"_Like_?" Serena asked sitting up. "Do you know how long it took me to find that dress?!"

Blair rolled her eyes as she looked the ruby dress up and down. It fit nicely against her body, not tightly like she had feared Serena would pick for her, but loosely in a way that still showed off the curves she was still getting used to having. The strapless dress left her shoulders bare, and she couldn't help but think of wearing her hair up to show the nape of her neck.

Before she realized what she was doing, she was twisting her hair up in a twist and facing her back to the mirror to see the view. She heard Serena giggling and quickly dropped her hair and faced back again, her fingers tracing the black belt that wrapped just below her breasts pushing them up.

"I think we're going to do the hair up," Serena said still giggling. Blair turned and glared at her before unzipping the side of the dress. "Nate and Chuck are getting their last fitting today.

Chuck's tux matches your dress perfectly, which is great, because you know Chuck's style, he will not complain about wearing any color. Which is good seeing as pink was my second choice."

Genesis raised an eyebrow as she handed Blair her black skinny jeans.

Blair smirked. "Chuck's favorite personal shopper is the Easter Bunny," Blair mock whispered with a wink. Genesis laughed handing her, her white ruffle poplin blouse, before gathering the dress and hanging it up on the hook behind the door.

"I'm thinking your hair back, Blair, and a thin black headband. Genesis, you're coming too, right?"

"Huh?" Genesis looked stunned for a minute as Blair buttoned up her shirt.

"Well, you have to come on Sunday! And tonight! Blair, my bachelorette party is tonight!"

"I didn't plan anything," Blair said as she slipped on her black heels.

"Chuck did."

"Of course he did," Blair said slipping on her jacket. She looked at Genesis who had her square cut glasses perched on her nose and was tapping her Burberry watch with her nail. "Text Genesis the time and place and she'll see if I can fit in a night of debauchery."

"It's a bachelor/bachelorette party."

"I'm sorry?" Blair asked.

"Yeah, at Victrola."

Blair stared at her best friend. "You are having your bachelorette party at Victrola?"

"Chuck closed it down for the night and is letting us use it."

Blair nodded, not knowing why it bugged it her so much. Chuck Bass was no longer her business, what he did or didn't do was no longer her concern and hadn't been since her high school graduation.

"Well, Genesis is in charge of my schedule and according to the magic little book I have a meeting."

"No need to push me out the door, B." Serena laughed as she gathered her bags and slipped on her shoes. "I have to go anyway. I have one last fitting for my gown, and a meeting with my mother and florist, then dragging Eric to the tux shop, why he didn't go with Nate and Chuck is beyond me." Serena ran a hand through her golden locks. "So much to do, so little time. I don't know what I was thinking trying to pull this wedding off in a week

Serena kept talking to herself even after Genesis was leading her out of Blair's office and down the stairs. Blair closed her door and leaned against it with a sigh before going to her desk and eating the lunch Genesis had gotten her minutes before Serena had popped her head in and made her try on the dress.

She looked down at the newest project she was thinking of taking on, just as Genesis came back in, leaning against the door with wide eyes. "Has she always been that tiring?"

Blair gave a small laugh before nodding. "Yeah, and that's nothing compared to when she's high." Blair circled her finger by her temple. "Crazy."

Genesis laughed as she sat down across the desk. "Do you want me to clear you for tonight?"

"Not sure yet," Blair admitted leaning back in her chair.

"Is it because your 'The One' is going to be there?"

"Chuck is most definitely not my 'The One'."

"I never said anything about Chuck." Genesis smirked into her planner.

Blair looked at her with wide eyes before narrowing them and scoffing. "Chuck is the only man, besides my best friend's fiancé that I've had a relationship with… inside that circle, of course."

"Of course."

"And seeing as Chuck and I have a history… I'd rather not see his smarmy face and let that ruin my night. Now… Mr. Bennett."

Genesis stood, smirk still in place. "Just remember, _Miss. Waldorf,_ I'm not just your assistant, I am slowly becoming your best friend. And as a best friend, I can see through the bullshit."

"Mr. Bennett, Genesis."

"Yes, Ma'am," Genesis said, still smiling as she left Blair's office. Blair would open up about one Chuck Bass eventually. When Genesis had first met her, she had just recently broken up with Chuck, and had been drowning her sorrows in shots of Patrón. Blair hadn't told her much, but enough for Genesis to figure out that Chuck Bass had broken the 'no cheating' rule one too many times and Blair had gotten tired of taking him back.

But, Genesis thought as she reached the first floor and looked for the odd man out, she'd noticed that once every six months Blair Waldorf was either lighter than air or sending everyone that worked for her to hell. Ever since Genesis had met her, almost eight years ago, she'd never met Chuck Bass and probably never would knowing Blair.

"Miss Carter?"

Genesis looked up and smiled lightly at the blonde that was standing by the elevators.

"Mr. Bennett?"

"Y-yes."

Genesis smirked. He was cute like she'd thought and as she heard him stutter and watched his eyes shift as if either looking out for his employer or Blair herself, she knew instantly he wasn't the puppet master in this meeting, but the puppet.

"I'll show you where we're having the meeting, Mr. Bennett, follow me."

"Oh… okay." He grabbed the bags that she knew held presentation boards as he followed.

XxxxxxxX "And you'll be here waiting for me when I get out?"

Chuck rolled his eyes as he poured himself a scotch. "I'm not holding your hand, Franklin. But yes, I'll be sitting right here, waiting for you when you get out."

"And are you sure she won't get mad… you know, if she figures out that you're the one behind all of this."

"As I've told you, she won't know."

"But-"

"No buts; just go or you'll be late and Blair Waldorf does not like tardiness."

Franklin took a deep breath before gathering the bags with the presentation boards and making sure the inner pocket of the suit he wore held the flash drive with the presentation itself and his note cards.

"Good luck, Franklin."

"Thank you-" the door closed before he was able to finish, "Sir." He sighed before turning and eyeing the building that held BCW Interiors. He wasn't afraid to admit that the idea of Blair Waldorf intimidated the hell out of him. And it didn't help at all that Mr. Bass's pointers all consisted of 'do not's instead of "do's'.

"Can I help you?"

Franklin turned and saw the receptionist in the lobby staring at him as he stared at the wall in front of him.

"I have a meeting with Blair Waldorf in BCW Interiors."

The girl looked at him with wide eyes before nodding. "Right, it's the 20th floor."

"Thanks."

"And uh… good luck." The girl laughed. "I hear she's not in the best of moods today."

"Oh," Franklin sighed. Of course Mr. Bass would send him in on a bad day. "Thanks."

"Uh huh," the girl said as she smacked her gum and turned away still laughing at him. Franklin sighed. When he'd been given the internship at Bass Inc., he'd never in his wildest dreams thought that he, Franklin Bennett, would be working for the head honcho himself.

Especially when at that precise moment he'd been hired, his Business class had been talking about the youngest corporate mind America had seen… ever. Not even Bart Bass, Chuck's father, had been able to manage to do half of what Chuck Bass had done since the age of seventeen.

What had been an internship of him grabbing coffee's for the 'important' people and making copies, had turned into a highly paid job of keeping Chuck Bass's schedule and making sure the man was sober enough to make it through his afternoon meetings, which wasn't usually a problem. Chuck Bass was a hothead, but never mixed alcohol with business, especially when billions were on the line, but Franklin had noticed that when it came to one Blair Waldorf, he had to keep an eye on his boss.

Now, he was meeting his boss's kryptonite, and if rumors that were going around the water cooler were true, if Blair Waldorf found out that Chuck Bass was behind the presentation, she'd not only go after Chuck Bass himself, but Franklin as well for humoring Chuck.

With a nervous breath he walked out of the elevator and onto the 20th floor, his eyes widening at the hustle and bustle that was BCW Interiors. He looked up and saw a woman with curly brunette hair up in a ponytail and square cut black glasses perched on her pert little nose.

Franklin felt his throat tighten up and suddenly felt nervous, not because of the meeting, but because the young woman was heading his way. Before she had a chance to ask, he opened his mouth first.

"Miss Carter?"

She looked up and smiled slightly at him, showing a set of perfectly white teeth. "Mr. Bennett?" she asked.

"Y-yes," he stuttered cursing himself. He always stuttered when around beautiful women, thank god his voice hadn't squeaked which it tended to do when he was really nervous.

He watched her smirk slowly, as if gathering amusement from his situation before indicating behind her with a nod of her head.

"I'll show you where we're having the meeting, Mr. Bennett, follow me."

"Oh… okay." He grabbed the bags next to him and followed her up the stairs to the conference room.

"Miss Waldorf is just finishing up her lunch," she explained, as he tried not to notice the sway of her hips as they walked up the steps. She led him to the conference room and entered before him.

"Go ahead and set up, we'll be with you in a matter of minutes."

"We?" he asked, hoping that Mr. Bass was right and that the interns that Miss Waldorf could want would also be joining them in the presentation.

"Miss Waldorf and myself." Miss Carter smiled. "You have five minutes, Mr. Bennett." With that said she left the poor man alone and went up the stairs to get Blair. Opening the door to the office, she saw Blair eating the last of her salad, throwing the container away.

"I'm going to run to the bathroom and clean the gunk out of my teeth. Talk while I'm brushing," Blair said handing Genesis a notepad where she would be writing notes during the presentation.

She followed Blair into the bathroom right next to the office and leaned on the sink counter while Blair started brushing her teeth.

"He's nervous, very nervous. Seemed to pale when I mentioned it was just going to be you and me during the meeting."

Blair nodded and spit out the toothpaste, putting her hand over to cover her mouth. "What'd he have with him?"

"Presentation boards for sure. Might have a PowerPoint, it looked like he only had two or three boards."

"Did you catch a look at them?"

Genesis shook her head. "Nope, they were still in the cases. I gave him five minutes to set up."

"Good," Blair said with a nod, wiping her mouth before looking in the mirror and reapplying her lipstick. "You're really good at the sizing people up thing."

"Yeah, I learned from the best."

Blair laughed and took the notepad back from Genesis and followed her away from the bathroom and towards the conference room. She smoothed her skirt and made sure everything was in place before she walked into the room with her back straight and her head high, her face neutral as she took in the man standing next to the three easels with his back turned towards them, straightening one of the boards.

"Mr. Bennett?" Genesis called, causing the man to turn around too quickly and knock over the presentation boards he'd just fixed. Blair tried not to smirk as he winced and closed his eyes in frustration. She did hear Genesis give a cough though to cover her laugh. "Mr. Bennett, this is Miss Waldorf."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Miss Waldorf. I've heard amazing things about you," he said shaking her hand.

"Oh, from who?" Blair asked setting her notepad on the table and leaning her hip on the table, watching him as he lifted the board back up and set it back on the easel.

"Uh, my boss actually."

Blair raised an eyebrow. "And who might that be?"

"I'm afraid I'm not able to disclose that… at the moment anyway."

"Hmm," Blair motioned for Genesis to sit, before sitting herself. "I want you to understand, Mr.

Bennett that the only reason I'm taking this meeting is because you have me mildly intrigued. I don't do motels."

"It's a hotel," he corrected before wincing. Do not number 38: Never correct a Waldorf.

Her brow rose. "Either way, I don't do them, they're not my specialty nor do I want them to become my specialty. My mild curiosity comes from the fact that Genesis says it's not your presentation, but you're presenting for someone else."

"I-"

Blair raised her hand to stop him. "And you admitted you have a boss, I'm intrigued. You have," she looked at her watch on her wrist then back at him. "Half an hour to make your presentation, after that I'll give you my yes or no, starting now."

Franklin stared at her wide eyed, before he saw a smirk present itself on her lips he took a deep breath, he'd seen that smirk before. He'd seen that exact same smirk on his own boss, and if he could deal with his boss, who at times could be the meanest son-of-a-bitch a person ever had the displeasure of crossing, he could deal with Blair Waldorf.

He moved the mouse on the laptop and started the presentation. "As you can see, the building right now is in need of major remodeling; our goal is to have it up and finished by…"

Blair watched as Mr. Bennett, Franklin, from what she saw on the information packet he'd handed her and Genesis, made his presentation, no stuttering, and direct eye contact, which was something many of her clients tended to avoid with her.

She hated to admit that the hotel was something she'd have fun doing, and something to take her mind off her last year in London, but the more she listened to Franklin talk about the possibilities the hotel had, the more she smelled Chuck all over it.

While Chuck Bass was practical in his real estate ventures and as much as he was described as being a 'visionary' for the next generation and clients describing him as being level headed and practical in all of his dealing, Blair had seen the other side of Chuck Bass, the dreamer.

He dreamt big, and usually, _usually_ it came out as he had planned. He'd only ever shown his dreamer qualities to her, and she still remember his excitement when he'd first come to her with the idea of Victrola.

_  
"B.," he slightly slurred._

_Blair turned away from her vanity and took in his ragged features, wrinkling her nose. "Ugh, you smell like the inside of a dumpster."_

"_I had an epiphany today."_

"_Oh?" she said as she grabbed the silk robe off her bed and slid it on, ignoring the way his eyes drank her in as they roamed each and every inch of her body that wasn't covered in the white lingerie she had on. She had the slight notion to be embarrassed, but Chuck had seen her in lingerie too many times to count to even pretend to act "the prude"._

"_I am my father's son," he said._

"_Yes, you are." Blair said with a slight laugh, dragging him into the room and closing the door. "How did you make it past Dorota?"_

"_Told her I had a homework assignment for you," he said lifting his hand to show her the piece of paper. She took it from his hands and rolled her eyes at the flyer the depicted the silhouette of a naked woman. _

"_I really need Dorota to start screening my guests," she muttered placing the flyer on her dresser. "And how much have you been drinking?"_

"_Not enough," Chuck responded letting her lead him into the bathroom. She left him standing the middle of the bathroom, while she twisted knobs turning on the water for a bath. Turning back to him she twisted her hair into a chignon before starting on his clothes._

"_I always knew you wanted to get me out of my clothes."_

"_Bass, I'm doing you a favor by not calling Nate." She saw Chuck roll his eyes. "And I'm the only one that really gets you when you get this way, so be nice."_

_She looked up and saw Chuck's reluctant nod before letting her strip him out of his suit coat and bow, laying them folded neatly on the toilet seat, before she started on the buttons of his shirt. She really was the only one that understood him when he got lost in his own mind. They'd done this routine since he was thirteen and had lost his virginity to Georgina Sparks._

_She'd strip him down out of everything except his boxers, even though he was more than capable to do it himself, place him in the bath, and while he soaked, she would sit in the edge of the tub and wait until he told her what was wrong. She never knew what it was that prompted him to come to her of all people when they were thirteen, and she still didn't know what prompted him, after 5 years of their little routine, to keep coming back to her._

_Pulling the salmon colored shirt out from his pants she pushed it off his shoulders, her fingers _

_running up his stomach. He wasn't toned like Nate was; where she was able to see the slight ridges of Nate's abs. His stomach was flat all right, just noticeable that he liked to indulge in a drink… or four. And unlike Nate's hairless chest, Chuck's was peppered with dark hairs coming to a V right at his hips where… She blinked and wondered when she'd started noticing the differences._

_Shaking her head she took the shirt off and folded it, before turning to the tub. "Shoes and socks off, Chuck," she said softly._

_She heard him toeing off his shoes as she turned off the water. Turning around she saw his bare feet and couldn't help the laugh that escaped._

"_What?" he asked looking down where she was looking before groaning. "Only you, Waldorf."_

_She laughed before reaching for his belt buckle and unsnapping it. "It's your fault for falling asleep in my bed during our Audrey marathon."_

"_A man can only take so many viewing of 'Charade' before he can't handle it anymore."_

"_One, it's a classic," she said unbuttoning his suit pants and pushing them down his legs. He stepped out of them and without prompting made his way into the tub. She folded the pants and put it on top of the rest of his clothes before turning around and seeing his head submerged in the water. _

_A few seconds later he came out gasping, slightly more sober than he was a minute before. "And two," she continued as he rubbed water out of his eyes. "I think the color just goes perfectly with your skin tone and personality."_

"_It's pink," he said leaning his head back, but keeping his eyes on her_

"_It's dark, and it's not like your wear sandals this time of year."_

_Chuck rolled his eyes before rubbing his face again._

"_So…" she began crossing her legs and making herself comfortable on the edge of the tub. "What was it this time?"_

_Chuck shrugged. "I am my father's son, Waldorf."_

"_Yes, you've said that already."_

_Sighing he looked at her. "One of my contacts told me about an old burlesque club up for sale."_

"_Like a strip bar?"_

"_Burlesque, it's the definition of a tease, Waldorf."_

"_Whatever," she said with a roll of her eyes. "Tell me more."_

"_It's perfect, B., it's what Bass Inc. needs to rise to the top." He shook his head and corrected himself. "To stay at the top." He shook his head again. "And I know that no matter what I do to prove to my father that this is important not only to Bass Inc. but to me, he won't take it into consideration."_

"_Chuck…"_

_Chuck shook his head. "It's a really good idea too."_

"_You've made plans?"_

_Chuck smirked. "I'm Chuck Bass."_

_Shaking her head she couldn't help the laugh that she let out. It was so rare to see the playful Bass come out and play. Usually he was covered up be the smarmy Bass and evil Bass but playful Bass was by far her favorite._

"_Tell me."_

"_Get in the tub with me," he smirked._

_She looked at him, looking for any signs that he was being lewd and disgusting, when she didn't see any, she swung her feet in and sat in the warm water with him, her silk robe getting wet. He'd buy her another one, he always did._

"_Happy?" He gave a nod. "Now tell me."_

"_I'd keep it on the way it is, the ambiance, just add in a few things. More choreography meant to tease not only the person but mind. A more… carnival feel without it being tacky."_

"_Fire breather?" she asked knowing his mind well._

"_In the ladies' lounge," he nodded. "The place is a good buy, financially it's a steal. Blair, if you could take one look at it, you'd see what I see in it. But my father…"_

"_Is Bart Bass," Blair whispered quietly._

"_I just…" he shook his head with a groan. "Maybe I should just do it, on my own. I've got enough to buy the building, and with a few accounts moved around, I'd be able to change the things I want changed." Shaking his head he sighed. "It's a pipe dream. I'm going to have to wait for the old man to die before I'm able to make the changes I want to the company, and even then I doubt they'll be received very well."_

"_Chuck, just go for it."_

"_What?"_

"_What's the name of this place?"_

"_Victrola," he said slowly._

"_God, even the name gives it potential," she murmured. "Chuck, prove your father wrong. Prove to him that this place was meant for Bass. Inc. I'm not saying that you doing it on your own is completely out of the realm of possibilities. But before doing that, just tell your dad. Make up a proposal and have a meeting with him. You can do it Chuck, I know you can."_

"_Waldorf, believe it or not, you're one of the only people that says that to me."_

"_I'm also one of the only people allowed to paint your toenails pink, and the only one that's ever been in a tub with you and not had sex with you, and also…"_

"_Yes, you're the exception to a lot of my rules, Waldorf," Chuck said, a chuckle escaping his lips. _

"_How about I get us a towel, we dry off and we watch…"_

"_Dear god, not 'Charade'," he said cutting her off._

"_I was going to say 'The Graduate', it always seems to cheer you up."_

_Chuck smirked. "You really do know me well."_

"_A little too well unfortunately." She got up and grabbed the towel from the side of the tub and wrapped her body with it, before taking off the robe. "You owe me a new robe, Bass."_

"_I'll take you to La Perla, get you some early birthday presents," he said looking her up and down with a smirk before standing up from the tub and pulling the plug._

"_And you are now officially sober, Bass." She threw him a towel. "You know where your extra clothes are."_

"_That I do, Waldorf."_

Who knew two days later, he'd done as she'd suggested, written a proposal and shown his father, and that very same night she'd lost her virginity to him. Shaking her head she looked up at Franklin who was looking at her expectantly.

She looked at Genesis who had an eyebrow raised. Blair looked down at her notes, and seen she'd written "Bass" on at least four points that, if she were to take the job, she'd have to take up with him.

She stood and went over to Franklin who was standing in front of his presentation. "Your boss, he made these, didn't he?" she asked looking at the boards, that had a very detailed drawing of the remodeled buildings as well as ideas for some of the rooms and themes.

"Uh… yes."

She nodded, another thing she knew about Chuck was when it came to perfection he was anal, and he wouldn't let anyone do his own plans when he could do it himself and do it ten times better than anyone else.

"These are the originals?"

"I believe so."

"Hmm. Now if I'm correct…" she grabbed one of the boards and went to the window putting it up to the sun. She smirked. On the right hand corner was the slight marking of CBB. "There is an initial right here that signifies that your boss is one Charles Bartholomew Bass."

She put the board back on the table and with her nail, chipped at the paint he'd put on there to hide his initials. Sure enough, when she'd gotten the white paint off, she saw the signature curve of the C with the thin line that connected the two B's. She'd seen him do enough presentation boards to know what his initials looked like. She turned the board back to Franklin to see his face drained of color.

"You're good at presenting, Mr. Bennett, be sure to tell Mr. Bass that. As for his hotel, tell him that I'm no fool, he should know me better than that, and BCW Interiors does not work with Bassholes. Have a good day, Mr. Bennett."

"Miss Waldorf," Franklin called back. She turned to see Genesis getting up from the table surprised at what had just happened.

"Yes, Mr. Bennett?""I…" he sighed. "He was adamant that this had nothing to do with…"

Blair raised her hand. "Frankly, Mr. Bennett ,I don't care what this had nothing to do with or what reason Mr. Bass saw fit to force you to make this presentation knowing full well I'd catch his affiliation with it. I want nothing to do with Bass Inc. and you can also tell him that neither do any of my designers. It's part of their contract. Once again, have a good day. Tell Chuck nice try."

Shaking her head, she left the conference room shaking, whether it was amusement that Chuck still tried to get her attention in the oddest and yet devious ways, or anger because he still tried to get her attention in the oddest and yet devious ways.

Opening the door to her office she leaned against her door silently for a moment, glad that it was getting late and she'd had the foresight to leave the blinds closed letting her office bask in the darkness and lessen the headache she already felt brewing. She took a deep breath before going over to her desk setting her writing pad down and looked at the computer that was humming, wondering what she had next in her agenda.

Biting her lip she went to take a seat, only to squeak and turn around her eyes wide as she started at the figure sitting in her chair, the figure she didn't notice when she came in.

"Chuck."

XxxxxxxxxX

_**A.N.: **_Wow, sorry for the long wait. Life got in the way. I'm actually putting school first this time around, so stories unfortunately get the back burner. But I've been reading Gossip Girl fanfic and inspiration struck. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter; hopefully the next chapter will be written and posted a lot faster, lol.

Just want to let you know, that pictures of clothes that are worn in this chapter are on my webpage, which is linked on my homepage on my profile. I also have a Twitter, for all you Tweeps, it's under PDLDRogan.

I love to know what you all think, so reviews are welcome! :DKassandra 


	4. Hating Chuck Bass

_***A.N1:**_ Just remember _Italics_ means it's a flashback.

_**Chapter 4: Hating Chuck Bass**_

"Chuck." She squeaked, moving away from the desk.

"Waldorf." He smirked.

She stared at him in anger and she had to admit a bit of amusement, how she had managed to miss his entrance into her office from the conference room, which had walls of glass, she would never know. "What the hell are you doing here?" she asked deciding to show anger first as she stalked over to the light switch and flipped it on.

"Is that your dress for Serena's wedding?" he asked looking at the ruby dress.

"Bass, what the hell are you doing in my office?! No, what the hell are you doing in this _building_?!"

"Well, I'm assuming you've already figured out," Chuck said standing up and moving to the door where the dress hung, she unconsciously moved away and towards her desk, keeping distance between them. Distance was always good. "That the presentation you just sat in on is, in fact, mine."

"Yes, and as I've told your…I'm only going to assume he's your assistant, I don't want to affiliate myself with Bass Inc. and neither do any of my other designers."

"This would look good with your hair up, you know?" he said fingering the dress and looking at her over his shoulder.

"Bass!"

"I don't want any of your other designers Waldorf." He turned to her and looked her up and down. "You're wearing jeans." He stated with a frown.

"I've been known to wear jeans every now and then." She said moving back behind her desk as he moved forward towards her.

Chuck smirked, as he noticed her movements. "In the years that I have known you Waldorf, you threw a fit every time someone asked you to wear jeans. You only wore them on rare occasions."

"What are you doing here?!" she repeated, tired of him changing topics.

"I want to convince you to take this project."

"Go to hell Bass."

"I'm on my way there, anyway, without your blessing." He smirked.

"Chuck!"

Chuck took a seat in the chair opposite her desk and leaned back, raising an eyebrow. Blair glared at him, before taking a seat in her chair herself.

"As you saw in the presentation, I'm building this hotel from the ground up. It's prime location and when I'm done with it, it will outdo all Manhattan hotels, except The Palace of course."

"Of course." She said with a roll of her eyes.

"I want you to be a part of it."

"And I've already told you, I want no part of it."

"Stop looking at me like your ex-boyfriend!" he scowled. "I'm giving you a chance to be part of a project that could literally launch your name and business into notoriety."

"I'm already well known Bass." Blair pointed out.

"By wealthy old men that have a desire to look up your skirt, not get their houses redone." He leaned forward, causing Blair to lean back. He smirked and reached for the briefcase he'd left there, reaching inside he grabbed the binder and put it on her desk.

"What's this?" Blair asked.

"I'm asking you to look at this proposal as a business opportunity, not as a job that's being given to you by a former lover."

"Chuck." Blair sighed.

"Just listen." Chuck said raising a hand to stop her. "I'm pulling out all the stops for this hotel; I'm giving you as a designer, free reign."

Blair raised an eyebrow, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs, he'd gotten her interest with that, probably like he knew he would. "Go on."

"In the binder, is the most basic idea of what I have in mind; the feel I want people to get when they walk in and what I want my hotel to reflect. Blair before…all this shit happened between us, you were one of my best friends. You knew me better then anyone, you still do in fact."

"I'll admit to that." She relented.

"You're going to read that, I know you will, and you're going to know exactly what to do with it, just like you knew what to do with Victorla."

Blair sighed flipping the binder opening and looking at the typed sheets. "What's the budget, if I were to consider this?"

"No budget."

Blair raised her eyebrow. "I'm sorry?"

"There is no budget." Chuck told her.

"Chuck, with a project like this, you're looking on spending tens of thousands on construction alone, I don't work cheap."

"Oh I _know_." He smirked.

"And," she said ignoring the suggestive manner he'd said that "If I know you the way I know I do, you're looking for this to be elegant if not in the most extravagant sense, you're looking at possibly millions of dollars in just furnishings, plus paying me and all those who I chose to hire to work on it, _if_ I choose to take it."

"Blair I'm a multi billionaire, this hotel while it will be expensive, really won't be breaking my bank. I practically stole that building for the price they were selling at, I've got the best guys working construction so I know it'll be worth every penny I spend, and if I were to hire you I know I'd get my moneys worth."

Blair shook her head, closing the binder. "Chuck-"

"Blair, I-" the door opened suddenly, cutting him off, to show Genesis looking down at her planner, they both turned to look at her as she looked up with wide eyes before covering her shock with a kind smile.

"Oh, sorry I didn't know you were in a meeting."

"Chuck Bass." Blair said giving a weary sigh. "My assistant Genesis Carter. Genesis, meet Chuck Bass."

"Holy…Hi." Genesis said shaking his hand as he stood.

"Nice to meet you." Chuck said with a nod of his head as he sat back down.

"Did you need something Genesis?" Blair asked shaking her head lightly as her assistant blatantly stared at Chuck. "Genesis?"

"What? Oh sorry." She gave a nervous laugh, before looking down at that planner. "You've got a conference call with London in about ten minutes."

"New client or old?" Blair asked, dreading the answer. There was only one person in London who could be calling.

"Old…" Genesis said with a wince.

Blair shook her head. "Call and reschedule."

"He said it was pretty important."

"I'm in a meeting now, he can wait."

Genesis nodded. "All right."

"Anything else?" Blair asked.

"You've got to do performance reviews for five of the interns today, they need it for their classes by Monday and if you want to go tonight, then…"

Blair looked at Chuck and sighed. "Give me fifteen minutes."

"All right. Mr. Bass it was nice meeting you."

"You too." He said nodding politely.

Genesis backed out of the door and closed it tightly leaving them alone again.

"Chuck, I…" Blair trailed off putting her head in her hands.

"Look, just think about it all right." Chuck said. "I'm serious Blair, last year in London…when you said you were done, I got it."

She looked up. "Chuck."

"No, I did. I do, I don't like it, but I understand it. Like I said, I'm asking you this, because I know you're the best, and I know I'd get the best." He stood, reaching for his briefcase. "Look it over, take your time, I know this is a lot to ask. You know where to reach me."

"That I do." She said opening the binder again to look at it; she looked up when she felt him still in the room, looking over she saw him hesitating at the door.

"Blair I…" Chuck started, before shaking his head. "This really is a nice dress you know."

Blair smiled lightly, "Thank you."

He gave a sharp nod, before leaving the office. Blair stared at the door for a minute before slumping onto her desk, letting herself actually relax for the first time in the twenty minutes he'd been in the room. Biting her lip she looked down at the proposal, while she knew the presentation had held a lot of the information she needed, Chuck's own proposal would be ten times more detailed and would answer any and every question she had including why the hell she was even contemplating taking the project as all.

"I'm sorry for barging in like that." Genesis said with a shy smile as she entered the office moments later.

"It's fine, I didn't even know he was in here." Blair admitted.

"How'd he even get in?" Genesis asked.

Blair shrugged and gave a half smile. "Hell if I know, knowing him he probably just poofed in here in a circle of fire and brimstone."

"Cause he's the devil." Genesis laughed. "Got it, what did he want?"

Blair lifted the proposal to show it to Genesis. "To give me this and convince me to take the project."

"Will you?"

"I-" Blair shook here head. "What do I need to do today?"

Taking the change of subject and not prying as Genesis was known to do, she said "Well it's almost three; you have some calls to return, including that of Lord Beaton."

"Thank you for not saying his name by the way."

"No problem." Genesis smiled.

"What else?"

"Well at four you can start doing the performance reviews, it shouldn't take long and you should be done with enough time to decide whether or not you want to go to Serena's bachelorette party."

"What time does that start again?"

"Ten." Genesis said checking her day planner.

Blair nodded. "Fine, give me an hour to return calls then send in the first batch of interns; make sure they have their sample books please."

Genesis nodded, making a note on her planner as she backed out of the rom. Blair looked back down at her desk and sighed as she looked at the coversheet that read "Bass Untitled Hotel Project" She flipped through the pages before setting it aside. Calls first, evaluations second, _then_ she would figure out of working with Chuck Bass was worth it. She eyed the proposal again before picking up the phone and calling London.

Four hours later, she'd argued with Lord Beaton "no, she did not want to work on any more of his houses." And "no, she certainly did not want to have dinner in Italy". She'd also given five interns evaluations, "yes, they were doing wonderful jobs." And "no, she was not going to write their teachers notes excusing them from class." She laughed at herself. Soon enough those five would be ready to set out on their own and Blair couldn't wait, she loved getting new faces in BCW.

She bit her lip and gave into the temptation that had been calling her for the past three hours, and looked at the proposal still sitting at the edge of her desk.

"So…"

Blair looked up at Genesis who had come in again, that girl really needed to learn how to knock. "Yes?"

"Well it's nearing seven now"

"Uh huh."

"You need to leave by eight thirty if you want to go to…Victorla? Is that the name of the club?"

Blair gave a nod, and then raised an eyebrow. "There is such a thing as fashionable late and its Victrola, the good shows don't start till midnight. Plus if I know Serena, and I do, she won't get there until eleven. Trust me I have time."

Genesis nodded. "Well I'm done for the day, unless you want me to stay and help you go through that proposal, I have my notes from the presentation."

Blair shook her head, knowing Genesis had no real interest in discussing business. "No, go ahead and go. You're going to Victorla tonight aren't you?"

Genesis shrugged. "I don't know, I don't know Serena very well, just the few times she's come over to see you, I'd feel uncomfortable."

Blair laughed leaning back in her chair. "You should go, knowing S she invited all of our old high school friends and half of her old college and modeling buddies. She's probably using this as her last hurrah. And knowing Chuck, he's going to give into Serena and do open bar. Half the people there won't know each other, plus is Victorla, it's…" Blair bit her lip and gave a small smile. "It's amazing."

"You had me at free bar" Genesis laughed.

"Great! I'll text Nate and tell him to put you on the list for entry, you know where it is?"

"I do."

"Wonderful, I'll see you there, Oh! And wear something sexy, Victrola deserves nothing less."

Genesis laughed and left the office with a shake of her head. Blair shook her own head in amusement, before pulling Chuck's proposal towards her and flipping to the first page and began to read.

"_I know what I want to major in now!" Blair called out as she entered her boyfriend's new penthouse._

"_Oh really Waldorf?" His cool voice came from behind her, causing her to turn around with a smile as he wrapped his arms around her waist and walked her backwards. "And what would that be?"_

"_Kiss." She said leaning up on her toes to kiss him; he couldn't help but chuckle as he leaned down and kissed her. "And fashion I want to study…" she looked around trailing off as she looked into his newly furnished living room. "Who decorated?"_

_Chuck shrugged keeping his eyes on her. "Some women, I told her what I wanted, I left for my trip, came home last night and ta-da. So fashion huh?"_

"_I want to work for my mom." She said distractedly as she extracted herself from his arms and moved around the living room where a black chair was sitting in the middle. "This." She said in disgust putting her fingers on the chair. "Is a recliner."_

"_Yes, and who better to teach the world fashion then Constance's best dressed."_

"_Yes, who better?" She looked up and then back at Chuck. "This is a recliner and it's sitting in front of a TV that is bigger then you and I combined and said TV is plastered to the wall."_

"_Blair." He laughed._

"_Sorry." She said with a shake of her head, looking down and wincing at the beige and blue Native American inspired carpet that belonged more in the office of a cattle wrangler then Chuck Bass' pent house. She bit her tongue and walked over to him. "This is your apartment, not mine, it's very…you."_

"_Thank you." Chuck laughed. "Now do you want to go out to dinner and tell me all about your decision to go into fashion, or want to order in?"_

"_Mmmm." she leaned up and kissed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I bet you can come up with a better activity then talking."_

"_I can." He smirked "In fact the newly decorated bedroom is right down here." He started leading her down the hall. "And there a few of my favorite activities we can do there."_

_Blair smirked back as she felt the door against her back. "Well then what are we waiting for?" She asked pushing the door open and walking in, she looked over her shoulder gasped and walked out. "No."_

"_Blair." He laughed._

"_No, no, no, no, no."_

"_It's not that bad."_

"_Not that bad?!" Blair shrieked as she pointed to the bed. "Those are flannel sheets!"_

_Chuck winced. "Yeah, that is pretty bad."_

"_We have heating systems so that people like us can sleep on silk not flannel and god forbid hemp!"_

"_In that case don't go into the guest room." He teased causing her to gasp in indignation._

"_I refuse to go anywhere near them Chuck!" she said turning on her heel and leaving. "I'll be in my _well-furnished_ apartment, come over when you get some sense."_

_He leaned against the wall laughing as he heard the elevator ding. Pulling out his cell phone he called his friend._

"_Hey, did it work?" Nate asked._

"_You were right, it was the flannel."_

_Nate laughed. "So what now?"_

_Chuck shrugged as he looked at his living room in disgust. He seriously couldn't believe he let Nate talk him into the hideous rug. "Well I'm going over to have dinner with my girlfriend, and sleep on silk." He laughed. "We wait Nathaniel, she'll give in, trust me."_

_A week later he was sitting at his desk in his office looking over some new plans when she barged in, his secretary after her telling her she couldn't come in._

"_It's all right Jen, don't worry about it."_

_Jen nodded, gave Blair a glare before walking out. Blair glared at him. "You're secretary is very rude."_

"_I'll get on that." Chuck smirked. "Now what brings you here?"_

"_I can't come by and see my boyfriend."_

"_You can, you usually don't." he stated with a shrug, as she came over to the desk. She pushed his chair back and sat down on his desk, crossing her legs giving him a good view of what was underneath her skirt._

"_I want your key."_

"_Key?" he asked blinking and tilting his head to see if he could see more. He felt her fingers on his chin as she lifted his face up._

"_To your apartment."_

"_You hate my apartment, you said you wouldn't step foot in it until I redecorate…which I'm not going to by the way."_

"_Oh I know you're not." She said with a smile and then sighed. "Serena needed a place to crash, apparently she'd opting out of Brown." She rolled her eyes. "I've got a test coming up and can't study with her in and out all day."_

_Chuck gave a nod. "So…you want to study at my place."_

"_Yes please. I mean I'm going to change the sheets, there's no question about that."_

"_Of course not." He laughed. "Well I'm going out of town."_

"_Again?" she asked._

"_Just for the next few days, you'll be in school, you won't miss me."_

"_Mmmm," she leaned down and kissed him. "I miss you every time you're not with me."_

"_Sweet, but too sweet." He said with a smirk as she leaned back. "You're up to something."_

"_Am not."_

_Chuck shrugged. "I really don't care what you're up to."_

"_Hmph." She crossed her arms over her chest. "When do you leave?"_

"_Tomorrow morning. I'll be in Connecticut for about three days; we've got a small hotel we want to buy, so I'm going to be taking a look at it."_

"_Three days?"_

_Chuck nodded. "Will you survive?"_

_Blair shrugged. "Phone sex seems to be a favorite of ours."_

_Chuck smirked and leaned forward placing his hands on the tops of her thighs. "Yes it does."_

"_Well then, key?"_

"_Right." He opened his desk drawer and pulled out a single key. "I was going to give it to you last week, but then you refused to set foot in my apartment again so…"_

"_You were going to give me a key?" she smiled._

_Chuck shrugged. "Better then you making Dorota break in, like you did to the last apartment."_

_Blair shook her head. "I still can't believe Nate took away my key."_

"_I'm surprised he didn't take away Dorota after that."_

_Blair smiled. "Okay, well I'm off. Got things to do." She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss, before leaving the office. "Oh, dinner?" she called back looking over her shoulder._

_Chuck shrugged. "I'll pick something up."_

"_Okay." She gave him one last smile before leaving the office. Blair put the key in her purse, glared a Jen, Chuck's secretary, before going to the elevators, checking her watch. She had four hours to plan and make notes before Chuck came home._

_Three days later, she stood in the center of Chuck's apartment, looking around, proud of herself for the work she'd put in. She walked over to the coffee table and fixed the small vase of flowers that sat there, when she heard the ding of the elevator. Rushing over she smiled at Chuck before covering his eyes._

"_Well hello to you too." He said leaning down and dropping his briefcase, he frowned when he heard Blair's heels clicking on the floor and his own shoes making noise. "Why do I hear our shoes?"_

"_Don't be mad." She said instantly causing him to pull away, her hand following his eyes._

"_Blair I had carpet on the floors, I shouldn't hear my shoes."_

"_Don't be mad." She repeated._

"_What did you do?" he asked carefully._

"_I don't care how much you loved how that damn designer decorated this apartment, it wasn't you."_

"_You said it was."_

"_I lied."_

_He tsk'ed, a smirk playing on his lips. "I thought you agreed to be honest in this relationship."_

"_To a certain degree!" she said grabbing his hand with her free one and leading him down the hall. "Plus I made it better." She moved her hand and let him see the newly furnished living room._

_He blinked and looked around; amazed that she'd been able to pull it off in three days. "Wow."_

"_You like it?"_

_Chuck leaned back against the wall as he took in the black leather couch that was sitting in front of the fireplace and the glass coffee table that sat in front. Instead of the carpet and rug he'd had on the floor, the carpet had been pulled out replaced by marble floors and a black rug underneath the table._

"_What happened to the carpet?"_

_Blair laughed. "It's the logical choice, I know you and Nate get together every weekend, and make a mess of things, and it will get to the point where no self respecting maid will ever wash your carpets no matter how much you pay them, so at least with marble, it's easier to clean, and it's prettier."_

"_I didn't expect you to do this much in three days." He muttered still looking in wonder._

_Blair frowned at his choice of words. "Expect?"_

_Chuck looked at her blandly. "You really think I'd choose a recliner?"_

_Blair looked at his in disbelief. "What are you talking about?"_

_Chuck sighed and ran a hand through his hair, before leading her to his new couch and sitting her down. "I heard you and your mom talking two weeks ago."_

_Blair frowned, before she looked up at him. "Oh."_

"_Your mom is pushing you in the fashion Blair, you wouldn't be happy."_

"_You don't know that." She said quietly._

"_Blair, you have wonderful fashion sense, the best, but do you really want other people wearing what you wear?"_

_Blair bit her lip. "Maybe."_

"_You like to be unique, Waldorf, just like me, it's why we dress the way we dress. You would hate to see other people wearing your clothes."_

"_So you tricked me into furnishing your apartment? Something you knew I would have just done had you asked."_

"_I know how you work Blair. You would have done it because I asked you too; you wouldn't have realized that this is what you're meant to do."_

_Blair frowned. "What?"_

"_Did you have any help in decorating this place?"_

_Blair shook her head. "No, I mean…pulling the carpet up and moving things in."_

"_You enjoyed it?"_

_Blair's eyes widened as she looked at him, she thought back on the least three days and gave a nod. "Yeah, I loved it."_

_Chuck smiled, "I think if you really gave it some thought Blair you'd know that interior design is what you're meant to be doing, not fashion."_

"_How did you pull this off Chuck?"_

_Chuck shrugged. "Nate helped, he bought the rug, and it was his TV. Same with the flannel,"_

_Blair shook her head. "So you did all this so I would realize that I'd be better at interior design then fashion."_

"_Not better." Chuck said leaning back in his chair. "Just happier."_

"_Chuck." Blair sighed._

"_Blair." He said in the same tone. "Just think about it, if you decide not to do it, then, hell at least I got my apartment done for free."_

_Blair shook her head as she stood; she leaned down and gave him a brief kiss before gathering her things._

"_Where are you going?"_

"_I need to walk around for a little bit, you look at the rest of the apartment, I'll be back for dinner."_

_Chuck gave a nod as he watched her. "Hey Waldorf?" he called._

_She turned and looked at him over her shoulder. "Yes?"_

"_For what it's worth, I love what you did with the place."_

"_Thanks. I'll be back."_

Blair swallowed as she closed the proposal and sat staring at it. She absolutely hated Chuck for knowing her so well. He knew she would never be able to turn the project down, especially at the terms he had set. He knew that taking on a project as big and time consuming as this, really would not only launch her business to a level she'd been trying to get it to since she went public, but would finally get her out of her mother's shadow.

She grabbed her things and packed up, throwing the damn binder that held the proposal into her messenger bag. She left her office with a scowl, absolutely hating Chuck Bass for convincing her to say yes.

_**XxxxxxX**_

_**A.N: **_

I've actually had this chapter done for a while now and my beta never got it back to me so I edited it myself, I apologize profusely for any mistakes that you may have caught, just let me know and I'll fix them lol.

Hope you all enjoy this chapter and the next chapter is about half way done so I hope to have it up soon!

Kassandra


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